Bookbinding / Journal Making Class!

I am SO excited about being able to offer this class!

Bookbinding/Journal Making 

Cost: $180

6:30-8:30pm

Wednesday evenings in March (3^rd, 10^th, 17^th, and 24^th) 

Max capacity: 6  

Instructor: Elizabeth Marx 

Have you been stuck in a rut with your journaling? Always wondered how books were actually made? Ready to break out of the mold and learn how to create your own journals by hand? Come and learn the art of bookbinding and let your desire to journal be rekindled by beautiful pages you will handpick and create! 

Classes will fill up quick, so don’t hesitate to register! Materials are provided for the first class.  

W h a t ’ s   p r o v i d e d :

bone folder

needles

bookbinding thread

Mod Podge and other adhesives

paper for a small introductory journal

paper/material for intro journal cover

A b o u t   t h e   ar t i s t :

Elizabeth Marx is a local, Charlotte-based artist and photographer who has been hand-making and spending countless hours in her journals since 2003. She has a B.A. in Art from Taylor University and learned the art of journal making while studying abroad in Italy. While she owns and operates Almond Leaf Studios and works for Silent Images, she will quickly tell you that journal-making is an art that she adores. She loves all things beautiful and creative, and takes great pleasure in seeing others learn to love life, too!

Registration for this class will open within the next few days! Elizabeth will also be teaching a painting class in March. More info and registration soon.

Ha! Take that!

This has been the most ridiculous few weeks ever.  We've been in (and are still in) the process of moving into our new retail location. Im so excited about the new space, but there are a lot of things I wish I had known about up front.

Many of my Twitter buddies and Etsy shoppers have noticed my posts about lack of internet access, which was supposed to come to an end on Jan 19. Yeah, we still dont have internet at the new shop. I was under the impression that our shop was zoned residential and business. We are essentially in the middle of a neighborhood, surrounded by houses and a church. When I put in my order for internet through TimeWarner, I was working under the assumption that I could choose what I wanted. I was wrong. I signed up for $29.99/mo 7mbps plan. Little did I know that when TimeWarner looked up my address, it shows as business, and therefore can only have RoadRunner Business Class. Up until this point, I thought RR biz class was OPTIONAL...something businesses could choose to get good rates and bundles and better services. NO. If you are a business location, you have to get biz class. You dont have a choice. Why is that such a bad thing, you ask? The lowest rate for biz class is $79.99/mo. $80 frickin dollars!! Are you kidding me?! I was only planning on paying about $45. Well surely this $80 interent is faster or something. Nope. 5 mbps vs the residential 7.

I decided I'd call TimeWarner, see whats up, ask them if they could just let me have internet for $45. What happened? What happened was I got some condescending butthead of a customer service person whose only response to any question was "$79.99...because its a business." Why? You dont know? You cant tell me? What?! It baffles me that these idiots want me to pay twice as much for slower internet for no reason. The building isnt that big, its smaller than most of the houses around it. There would only be 2 computers on the network, which we already have a router for and can set up ourselves. So why the $80?? Thats when butthead told me "...residential is for entertainment. If something goes wrong with your business internet, you lose money." Youre assuming a lot there, dude. "...And if something does go wrong, we'll come out to fix it that day, whereas with residential service, it may take a day or 2." Ok, so why do I not have the right to choose what I want. I dont care if you dont come out the same day. In all my years of paying for internet, Ive only needed a service person to come fix something...maybe...twice...? Why can I not waive my right to have you come out the same day for cheaper service?? This doesnt make sense to me. The only thing that does make sense is that this is just another way for these sheisty bloodsuckers to get more money. YOU CANT HAVE IT!!

Dont even get me started on the installation fee. After looking around at some other internet service providers, and finding them all to be equally as sheisty, we figured we'll have to suck it up and pay the $80/mo for the net. Weeeell, come to find out you cant actually put in a business order online. They sent me an email saying to call the number to complete the order, blah blah blah. Also included in this email was something I hadnt seen anywhere on their site...stipulations. The $79.99/mo rate is if you sign up with a 3 year contract. A contract? For internet?! You must be joking. 3 years?! Pfff. My lease isnt even 3 years long. Annnd...an installation fee which "may apply." Well it does apply, and its $200. $200 bucks for some moron to plug a box into the wall. Really.

Well Time Warner, I just want you to know...YOU SUCK. Yes, I said it. And I said "butthead" too. And I dont care. Because Im angry. Very. VERY. Angry.

I looked into some other options. The only thing I really need internet for is running credit cards. I can do it on my phone, but thats awkward. Ive had wireless broadband before, I loved it, I just didnt have much use for it after I stopped moving around so much. So I put in an order for another broadband card today. No activation charge, no installation fee...just...internet. I hope it works as well as my last one.

So again, to you, Time Warner, Im not giving you my money if I can help it. So, HA! Take that! :)~

Renovation

Everytime I come back from non-blogging oblivion, I proclaim that "Im back" and that "I'll do better" or that "I'll definitely start writing more often." Im not even going to say it this time. Dont wanna jinx myself.

Ive been really slack lately on the writing end of things in general. Havent blogs, newsletters, ads, listings, everything. Im trying to come out of it, I need to come out of it. The holidays are coming up for goodness sake! Writing afore mentioned bits will help me make the most of it, so I have no choice!

Ive been caught up in fighting with myself over my studio space, or, the lack thereof. Its hardly what I would call ideal for my purposes, but Im making due. Dont get me wrong, Im thankful to even have a space, but I so wish I had something a little bigger. For the past month or so, Ive been arranging, rearranging, decorating, redecorating, doing and redo my workspace. Ive made so many trips to Ikea, Im sure the workers are probably wondering where my yellow and blue uniform shirt is. Today I completely redid the furniture arrangement, even bought a new shelf, and its finally coming together into something I like. (Pictures to come) I now have a little "shop"/display area in front, workspace in the middle, and "kitchen"/"closet"/fitting room in the back. (I know, I know, pictures will help you understand this a lot better.) Ok, well, the fitting room isnt much of a fitting room yet, as theres no curtain or mirror, but Im working on it. Ikea here I come! ...Again.

I have an idea that I think Im going to try during this holiday season. I want to open my studio during certain hours so people can come in, look around, and shop in person if they'd like. Still working all the kinks out of this plan, but I'll update soon.

Update-ish

The shop has been back open for a few weeks now. A few of the previous orders still missing. WTHeck is wrong with the postal service?? Seriously considering switching entirely to UPS and fedex. Ugh. New stuff still hasnt made it into the shop, I know. Soon, though. Soon. Im actually thinking about closing the shop back down again until I get new things made. Im getting a little tired of the "made to order" way of doing things. It makes it somewhat difficult and annoying to replace an order should it get lost.

I just started school for the first time in a few years. Im SO not used to the school environment, and the "school way" of making art. Im not diggin it. But thats a long story/discussion for another day.

I feel like Im just full of excuses. Life just keeps throwing me curve balls...then bowling balls...then boulders...

Back...sort of.

Charleston was great! There are some pics on here under "pictures: tickles me fancy" I wish I could take vacation every week. Bah humbug. But back to reality...

Sooo missing packages are not fun. My shop is on hold until I figure it out, which better be soon because school is starting and the hubs and I need supplies and books. So Im back from vacation (bah humbug!) but the shop is still closed temporarily. But when it comes back, it'll be back with a vengeance. Oh yes!

I realized how badly I stagnated. Cowl neck top took over everything. I never made anything new because I was making soooo many cowl neck tops. I like the cowl neck top, I like making the cowl neck top, but when youre made soooo many in such a short period, it becomes tiresome and sucks the artistic and creative life right out of you. I know back in February I was working on shoes, and I promised shoes by April, and it didnt happen. At the beginning of summer I promised new summer wears, which I had designed a whole line of, actually, but that also never happened. I blame Cowl Neck Shirt! So Im taking this opportunity with the shop hiatus to make new things! LOTS of new things. Dont worry, cowl neck shirt will be back, but it will be bringing friends.

So, plans for new items:

• Shoes! yes, Im actually going to have that line of shoes I was working on. I want to make that a reality.
• Tees! My hubs and I are working on t-shirt designs and adding some screen printed tees to the shop.
• Bags! Never had many bags. Always had plans for them, but never got many into the shop.
• Fabric! Hand printed fabric yardage...Im so excited about finally doing this. I just printed a nifty pattern the other day, cant wait to put it up in the shop.

Plenty more, but those will be surprises I guess :) Stay tuned...